Danish cartoons of Mohammad prompt threats

[DaddyHalbucks]

CNN: Gunmen shut EU Gaza office over cartoons
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/...oon/index.html

Cartoons reprinted here:
http://michellemalkin.com/archives/004413.htm

This cartoon story pretty much summarizes the whole struggle between the Middle East and the West. We should have learned this lesson from author Salman Rushdie years ago.

In a nutshell, the conflict is between these camps:

Tyranny, censorship, thought control, and thuggery
V.
Democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, individual rights, and law


The cartoon story makes this struggle CRYSTAL clear.

There are lots of things I see every day that are offensive to me, but I have NO right to wave a gun or threaten people. Same for these hooligans. Religion is no excuse.

I used to think Israel was way off base, but you know what? Lately I have alot more sympathy for the plight of that country.

[VisualDigits]

Once my Turkish friend showed me a comic book depicting Jesus having intercourse in a perverted way, making fun of christianity. I guess it's OK for them to do so. However, Israeli terrorists are no different from Palestinian ones. I don't sympathize with any of them.

I like the cartoon with the prophet saying "Stop, we ran out of virgins!".

[Momentum]

Looks to me like a very untalented cartoonist trying to get attention/publicity.

And it is definitely working. Maybe too well.

Just because you have the right to express yourself in any possible tasteless manner, does not mean that you HAVE to. But violence is not the answer either.

Oh well back to business.

[Domagon]

I clicked over the CNN article and in it is this blurb:

"Muslims consider it sacrilegious to produce a likeness of the Prophet Mohammad. CNN has chosen to not show the cartoons out of respect for Islam."

That reminded me why I so rarely ever view CNN - they think nothing of showing troops being killed, etc and yet won't show some cartoons ... thank goodness for google news, and all the various alternative news sources; blogs, etc.

Ron

[adill420]

Originally Posted by DomainMaster

Once my Turkish friend showed me a comic book depicting Jesus having intercourse in a perverted way, making fun of christianity. I guess it's OK for them to do so. However, Israeli terrorists are no different from Palestinian ones. I don't sympathize with any of them.

I like the cartoon with the prophet saying "Stop, we ran out of virgins!".

Well as for us, Muslims, we consider Jesus as one of the great prophets therefore we really have great respect for him as well!. Also it is also against our religion to make fun of anyone's religion regardless of what their point of view is. Yet we live in a society today where people don't even respect other humans so the least you can expect is religion to be left out of this.

I have been in many situations where people have discriminated against Islam and I have done nothing but corrected the so called "illusions" people have about the religion. And never ever have I said anything about someone's religion regardless of what they might have said or done to me. However it hurts my feelings to see that people have self -lowered their standards to make fun of my religion to such an extent.

Also, if media is so much about expression then why haven't I ever seen an article where really it talks about "Islam doens't give rights to women" or "suicide bombing is the way to heaven in Islam" The Islam, I and billions other around the world follow does not teach that nor does it teach "terrorism" yet we have been the targets by being labeled as "human rights abuser" and "terrorist"

Anyhow, while I am hurt, I know that those who have the intention of making fun will realize at one point in time of their mischief.

[mmkrulz]

Originally Posted by DomainMaster

Once my Turkish friend showed me a comic book depicting Jesus having intercourse in a perverted way, making fun of christianity. I guess it's OK for them to do so. However, Israeli terrorists are no different from Palestinian ones. I don't sympathize with any of them.

I like the cartoon with the prophet saying "Stop, we ran out of virgins!".

Just letting you know, as stated before, Jesus, Moses, and Muhammad are all prophets that are believed in the Islamic religion, so if someone muslim were to make fun of any of them, it would be an insult to thier own religion, i am sure there are ignorant enough people out there to do this and actualy do this, but that does'nt mean there should be generalizations and stereotypes towards all muslims and call "them" all hypocrites.

[mrbojangles77]

i am free from predjudice,i hate everyone equally

[mrbojangles77]

i am free from predjudice,i hate everyone equally

[Poker]

There are very few truely spiritual people in the world. There are many that treat thier own religion as an extension of thier own ego.

[Godfrey]

The majority of muslims are peace loving good people, however

The majority of the worlds terrorists are also muslim, or portray themselves as such.

It is upto true muslims to denounce the evil people who preach violence in their religions name.

In London today in the UK we had hundreds of muslims protesting at the Danish embassy. One of the banners being held up by the protestors reportedly said "Behead anyone who insults the prophet Mohammed".

It is protestors of this kind that gets Islam its bad name. You can protest without being an idiot or threatening violence.

[petertdavis]

This is a very depressing topic. I'm afraid we're headed for more war. :(

[DaddyHalbucks]

Originally Posted by petertdavis

This is a very depressing topic. I'm afraid we're headed for more war. :(

Yup.

Reason and religion often do not mix.

Originally Posted by Godfrey

The majority of muslims are peace loving good people, however

The majority of the worlds terrorists are also muslim, or portray themselves as such.

It is upto true muslims to denounce the evil people who preach violence in their religions name.

In London today in the UK we had hundreds of muslims protesting at the Danish embassy. One of the banners being held up by the protestors reportedly said "Behead anyone who insults the prophet Mohammed".

It is protestors of this kind that gets Islam its bad name. You can protest without being an idiot or threatening violence.

Good points.

If they don't want their religion hijacked by violent extremists, good Muslims need to speak out more.

[csite.net]

Originally Posted by Godfrey

The majority of muslims are peace loving good people, however

The majority of the worlds terrorists are also muslim, or portray themselves as such.

It is upto true muslims to denounce the evil people who preach violence in their religions name.

In London today in the UK we had hundreds of muslims protesting at the Danish embassy. One of the banners being held up by the protestors reportedly said "Behead anyone who insults the prophet Mohammed".

It is protestors of this kind that gets Islam its bad name. You can protest without being an idiot or threatening violence.

What was funny about the Muslim protest is that most protesters were youth who look to me very unlikely people to have those views, i am pretty sure they were lured into the protest, it was only a few people. However saying that, i do believe in punishment via sanctions is a good thing on Denmark for refusing to apologise in the first place.

This is not Free press we are talking about, this is branding every single Muslim in the world as a terrorist, suicide bomber. That's different to saying alot of Muslims violate human rights or Islam doesn't tolerate freedoms for women, that is fine, but to brand someone who has passed away thousands of years ago, who represents every muslim in the world and is believed to be a messenger of god, to brand him as a suicide bomber is a huge insult. This is as bad a saying ever black person in the world is a terrorist, it's free speech but would the governments allow such publications? Free press is healthy for democracy to an extent that it questions policies, beliefs, not brand people as terrorist, that's not free press but direct racism on behalf of Denmark, Norway, France and Germany. Denmark government does have a large extremist wing, in British terms it would be like 25% of parliament being BNP members! So feeding such propaganda is only fuel for their people.

Btw, CNN didn't publish those cartoons because they have a huge number of Arab investors, they are in Muslim countries, and they probably saw it as being very unnesesary, they have a reputation unlike most the papers who published the cartoons recently merely for profit and sales (who claim it's for free press )

good Muslims need to speak out more

They do, but it's boring to cover that in the press, you get far more readers when a leader says lets wipe out Israel than when a leader or a religious figures says we need to improve out relations with Jewish people. Noone ever cover the decent Muslims, it's always the extremists. If a leader in a mosque says Jihad in Iraq is good, it's covered, but when 95% + denounces suicide bombings and actions in Iraq, noone cares.

[Domagon]

Using that logic, though you're probably correct, I guess CNN doesn't have many American investors based upon the footage of a big "X" flashed over Cheney's face about a month or so ago.

You say they saw it as unnecessary ... shouldn't they allow the reader to decide ... the cartoons aren't that shocking compared to some of the war images they've shown, and furthermore since the story is centered around the cartoons, doesn't it make sense to show them.

Quite honestly I don't really care if you agree or disagree or whatever ... just tossing out my dimes worth on this topic ... and to show support for freedom of speech and expression; the artist likely expected and welcomes such reaction ... good to get the masses' blood flowing from time to time; make them think, at least for a few moments, about the world around them.

Ron

[csite.net]

Originally Posted by Domagon

Using that logic, though you're probably correct, I guess CNN doesn't have many American investors based upon the footage of a big "X" flashed over Cheney's face about a month or so ago.

You say they saw it as unnecessary ... shouldn't they allow the reader to decide ... the cartoons aren't that shocking compared to some of the war images they've shown, and furthermore since the story is centered around the cartoons, doesn't it make sense to show them.

Quite honestly I don't really care if you agree or disagree or whatever ... just tossing out my dimes worth on this topic ... and to show support for freedom of speech and expression; the artist likely expected and welcomes such reaction ... good to get the masses' blood flowing from time to time; make them think, at least for a few moments, about the world around them.

Ron

Showing pics of Iraq war is different to angering 10 million Muslim Americans but branding them as terrorists by showing the images. By showing the images, not only will it further anger American Muslims, it will seriously threaten America and Britain in Iraq and Afghanistan. You and I probably can't understand what Mohammad means to Muslims, but i listened to an interview this morning of a man saying Imagine the worse insult to your parents published on a newspaper, multiply that by a million and you may feel how we feel about these pictures.

Political pictures is different to hatred religious hatred pictures! There are laws against being anti Semitic against Jews, but there is no laws protecting other religions. If such pics were published in the context of the holocaust and to brand it as a glorious event and to support more holocausts it would have been put under review by the governing bodies of the country straight away, this was just a case of double standards.

You should be glad CNN didn't publish those pictures, the last time the middle east was angry at America for supporting what they called hatred of Muslims (their support for Israel) which lead to a ban of oil export to America, it lead to an America recession. It would have also seriously jeopardised their position in Iraq with normal Iraqi citizens.

[petertdavis]

CNN didn't publish the comics because they put politics over all else. Period.

[ForumDomains]

Originally Posted by DomainMaster

I like the cartoon with the prophet saying "Stop, we ran out of virgins!".

Yeah, I think the vast majority of muslims will also laugh at this one.

[izoot]

Originally Posted by Godfrey

The majority of muslims are peace loving good people, however

The majority of the worlds terrorists are also muslim, or portray themselves as such.

It is upto true muslims to denounce the evil people who preach violence in their religions name.

In London today in the UK we had hundreds of muslims protesting at the Danish embassy. One of the banners being held up by the protestors reportedly said "Behead anyone who insults the prophet Mohammed".

It is protestors of this kind that gets Islam its bad name. You can protest without being an idiot or threatening violence.

Exactly .... The moderate Muslims that are being stereotyped and bunched together with the extremists need to stand up and be proactive in dealing with those extremists that hijack their religion.

How are non Muslim people going to be educated that all Muslims aren't of the same beliefs as those threatening death to whole countries due to some silly cartoons if the moderates don't stand up and speak out and act. They should not assume everyone is aware of the differences.

It would also strengthen the moderate Muslims if their news media didn't constantly portray others religions/belief in similar charicatures as those that offend them. It weakens their argument when they create the same and in many cases far worsens depictions of others.